Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

The Push by Ashley Audrain

36 reviews

vikidoki's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

this was an interesting read. normally this wouldn’t be a book that I would read but I’m glad I read it. it shows a whole different perspective on motherhood and it a book that will make you speechless and stay with you for a while. I will probably think about this book every day at least especially before I will decide if I want to become a mother. this book feels unbelievably important and I’m glad that I read it since it’s dark and tens and questioning but also so heartachingly grotesque.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Murder, Mental illness, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Child death, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, and Addiction

Moderate: Suicide, Self harm, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Blood

kkm88's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Child death, and Car accident

Moderate: Suicide, Alcoholism, and Miscarriage

reddeddy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Abortion, Sexism, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Blood, Dysphoria, Grief, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Body horror, Child death, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Car accident, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, Cursing, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Addiction, Alcohol, Drug use, Eating disorder, Excrement, Alcoholism, Confinement, Vomit, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Incest, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual violence, and Dementia

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What. The. Fuck. This book is so twisted and terrifying. I can’t imagine being so scared of a child in real life but this child is … I just don’t have words. I haven’t ever read a book like this. It’s a psychological thriller and is full of the most heinous acts committed by a kid with no remorse. The bigger horror would have to be being the one who brought that child into the world and having no one believe how psychotic your kid is. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Car accident, Abortion, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence

floweratmyfeet's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Child abuse, Abandonment, Death, Grief, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Self harm

Minor: Cursing, Alcohol, Murder, Addiction, Alcoholism, Abortion, and Bullying

the_savannahhumphrey's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Car accident, Child death, Gaslighting, Grief, Pregnancy, and Toxic relationship

moraina's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This was a compelling read. I honestly felt bad for all of the characters for different reasons, it definitely shows how difficult the societal expectations that come with motherhood can be. Definitely not for the faint of heart if you’re sensitive to the topics in the content warnings, but if you’re child-free it will definitely resonate with you in some ways.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Self harm, Violence, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Mass/school shootings and Suicide

Minor: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Rape, and Vomit

lydiavsbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I don't even know what to say. This was just a perfect exploration of motherhood and just womanhood, done just so beautifully. And at the same time an incredible fast paced and compelling mystery.

Wonderful book, absolutely want to reread 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child death, Gaslighting, Grief, Pregnancy, and Self harm

Moderate: Abandonment, Bullying, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide

Minor: Alcoholism, Misogyny, and Stalking

nottoolate's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Reminded me of A Yellow Raft in Blue Water-generations of women who struggle to connect with their daughters. But with the added psychological thriller/possible unreliable narrator element. Found myself empathizing with the protag despite my initial reservations about her. Also, the ending made me want to scream (but it was so good!).

Quotes:
"But I had become hardened. My face looked angry and tired where life had once lifted my cheekbones and glowed through my blue eyes."

"You used to care about me as a person-my happiness, the things that made me thrive. Now I was a service provider."

"Nobody ever talked about him. Not our friends. Not your parents or sister. They'd ask how we were, and their eyes ached with sympathy, but they never spoke his name. It's all I ever wanted them to do."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Murder

Moderate: Addiction and Grief

Minor: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, and Self harm

dramaqueentears's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The way I BLASTED through this book. 

After ages of back and forth, Blythe and Fox finally have a baby. Their first child, Violet, is immediately loved by Fox and Blythe just can’t seem to connect with her. What Fox (along with everyone else, honestly) believes to be postpartum depression, Blythe believes is a problem with Violet. She is ultimately convinced she’s right when she has another baby, Sam, and she bonds with him immediately. When Sam dies unexpectedly, everyone believes it’s an accident but Blythe swears that Violet did it. 

What makes this such a wild ride is that throughout the story, you learn about Blythe’s family and how her mother and grandmother were raised by their mothers. You see a cycle of abuse that really makes you stop and question whether Blythe can be trusted as a narrator. It was everything I love about books: mystery, suspense, family drama. 

If I were going to take off points for anything, it would be that the plot really leaves nothing untold. It was all very predictable but I couldn’t put it down, so it’s keeping all 5 stars for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Car accident, Death of parent, Self harm, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Grief, Emotional abuse, Confinement, and Blood

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Bullying